Officer Meredith Leftwich and Senior Corporal Kimberly Howard claim in the suit that the department downgraded four female officers from the Fugitive Unit in 2025, changing their status from "operational" to "partially operational." The lawsuit alleges the decision was based on gender, pointing to comments from trainers who described Howard's physical stature as "simply her size" and said another female officer was "too nice to pull the trigger."

Both Leftwich and Howard have since been restored to "operational" status, according to the suit. The lawsuit was filed after the officers exhausted the department's internal grievance process, which ultimately reached Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux.

"I think that everything you see here reflects a hostile work environment that treats high-qualified, dependable, trustworthy females as disposable," said JoDee Neil, an attorney representing Howard and Leftwich.

The officers were not permitted to speak on camera about the litigation. Neil outlined the remedies her clients are seeking.

"My goal, I would like to see the files wiped clean, maybe an apology, maybe a public statement. I would also like to obtain critical discovery so that we can learn exactly how severe and pervasive gender discrimination is at DPD," Neil said.

The lawsuit has drawn attention to broader concerns about the treatment of women within the department. Jennifer Atherton, president of the Dallas Police Women's Association, said she personally experienced discriminatory remarks from Major Gerald Smalley.

"He says, 'Now, Jennifer, let me ask you, how many women are in SWAT right now?' I said, 'I don't know if there's any women in SWAT right now,' and he said, 'Well, there's not. And maybe there's a reason for that,'" Atherton recounted.

Atherton praised the two plaintiffs, saying they are exemplary officers whose performance meets or exceeds that of some male colleagues.

"What gets me fired up about this and keeps me talking about it is that these two ladies are exemplary officers. They are good at their job. They're outstanding in aspects of their jobs where some of their male colleagues do not meet the same standard as they do," she said.

The Dallas Police Department did not respond to a request for comment. The City of Dallas declined to comment on pending litigation.

The case raises questions about gender equity in one of the nation's largest police forces and whether internal review processes adequately address allegations of bias. For Dallas residents, the lawsuit underscores ongoing tensions over how the department treats officers who report discrimination and whether qualified women are being sidelined from critical assignments.